


Cursed

by Bubblepanda07



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Slow Burn, fae!au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-10-27 03:41:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10800966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bubblepanda07/pseuds/Bubblepanda07
Summary: Bruce gets on the wrong side of a witch and finds himself cursed-man by day, monstrous bat creature by night. When push comes to shove, as a last resort, he seeks out the help of the Fae and makes a deal with a green haired Faerie.





	Cursed

**Author's Note:**

> So this is happening and holy crap am I love struck with this au. I was suppoooosed to be working on the ghost au but I'm having a brain fart on how to bridge point A to point B(or rewrite it entirely) sooo here we are~  
> Basically I was on tumblr and someone mentioned the word prince in relation to batjokes and my fantasy loving brain went 'FAE PRINCE!!' and melamungous input the bat curse bit and tadaaaa! I ran with it and it's killing me.  
> Title may change in the future if I can get my noodle to think of something clever. No lie, this is saved to my hard drive under 'Born Fae-mous' ahaha

There were some places you could take at face value, nothing more going on than corn fields and old wooden farm houses-ordinary and simple. Where a field was just a field and a house was just a house.     

Then there were places like Gotham, a city that camouflaged itself easy enough during the day, but at night...oh she was a completely different creature. When the sun bid goodbye and the moon rose in greeting, she _came alive_. Magic had embedded itself so deep in her bones that it seeped from her like blood, pumping through the veiny network of streets and alleyways.     

There were stories of gargoyles disappearing from the looming architecture they were perched on-and other oddities-in the large city, but only spoken among friends. Yet there was one story that everyone shared, even going so far as to appear in the tabloids. Stories of _the batman_.  
    

A large, pitch black figure crouched on the edge of a building, claws digging in to the brick it sat on. It quirked it's head, listening intently for the sounds of danger, long pointed ears twitching. He heard a woman scream and, spreading midnight wings wide, he dove down.     

Following the sound, he landed silently behind a thug who was in the process of mugging some unfortunate woman. The woman spotted him before the criminal did, and she screamed at the sight of him, trying to push herself further back against the alley wall.     

Confused, the man twisted to look back only for his face to be met by a fist. The woman took her chance to get away, fleeing the alleyway.     

"I won't hurt you-"     

"Just _stay away_!"    

While the bat was distracted, the mugger kicked at his ribs, spurring a grunt at the harsh force. Reeling his fist back again, he hit the man with a greater effect, knocking him out cold. He knelt down, bringing the man's hands behind his back and cuffing them.     

"My my, would you look at that."     

The Bat turned to the voice, finding a man perched on a stack of crates, resting his head in the palm of a hand; his long, long legs crossed over one another. Deep purple sapphires on the mans black jacket reflected in the low light, twinkling in the darkness. Bright green eyes alive and hair dancing in the breeze, a grin stretched out on his fair face.     

The Bat sneered at the man, "Come to stare at the monster?"     

"A monster? Well, why didn't you say so, I would have been much more afraid!" The man gasped theatrically, covering his mouth.     

Bruce went to retort when the sound of sirens caught his ears. He turned towards the sound, only for a moment, before turning back.     

The man was already gone. How had he moved so quickly without him noticing? He couldn't have climbed the fire escape in time, he would have seen him. Sparing a second glance, Bruce opened his wings and flew up, circling the area to try and spot the man. After a few minutes he realized he was wasting his time and dawn was far too close to breaking for comfort.  
  
    

The Bat barely made it into his room in the manor before the sun crested atop the hill. In the sunlight, the curse that placed its hold on him melted away the monstrous facade, leaving a man behind. Getting up on unsteady feet, he managed to make his way to sit on the edge of the bed.     

"Master Bruce, living on the edge this morning? You're later than usual."     

"There was...a man."     

"A man? Heavens, how could there be such a thing."     

Bruce looked at his butler with a sour expression, "He disappeared."     

"So you went looking for an _invisible_ man?"     

" _Alfred_."     

"My apologies, far be it from me to question such sound logic, sir."     

He pinched the bridge of his nose, the signs of a migraine starting to manifest.  
    

Bruce flipped through a large tome, sighing with soft resignation as it was void of any answers to his curse. He gazed out the window, sun lighting up the blues of his eyes.     

"I'm running out of options, Alfred."     

"Don't tell me you're considering-"     

"Going to the Fae? Yes, I am. What other choices do I have? What could be worse than this?"     

"Death for starters, or being trapped in their realm."     

"But I can't stay like this forever!" Bruce looked down at where his fingers worried over the ragged edge of the ancient book in his lap. Speaking more softly, he added, "I'm tired of being alone, Alfred."     

"Have you ever considered that perhaps someone could accept you for the way you are?"     

"In the daylight? Sure, but as soon as the moon comes up they'll be screaming and running for their life." He shut the book, setting it on the table as he stood, running fingers through his hair. "I have to try _something_."  
    

With the equipment Bruce had at his disposal, it was easy enough pinpointing the gate into the Fae realm. He used his computer to get readings on a large spread of map, searching for high emf readings. After having it eliminate all the power plants, there were only a handful of locations left around the city. Next, he had it calculate the amount of missing persons and strange activity around each of those locations.     

Bruce had to suppress a shudder when one came up with numbers much higher than the others, a chilling reality to face. 

_The entrance to Arkham Asylum._      

Every time he had been near it to drop off criminals, he couldn't shake the eerie feeling of the place gnawing away at him, trying to pull him deeper into its confines. Perhaps to hold him there forever...  
  
    

Stepping past the black gates, he looked around for a sign of a portal. According to legend it should be some sort of ring on the ground, either manmade or organic. On a whim, he brought a compass with him. Looking at it, at one moment it was pointing north, then sharply turned in another direction. Moving towards it, he found his bounty. A ring of red mushrooms sprouted from the grassy earth.     

Taking a breath, he stepped into it, and waited. Then waited some more.     

Nothing had changed. While simply stepping into one seemed too easy, he hadn't exactly heard of any other methods to spurn the portal into action.     

Frowning, he stepped back out of the ring-and his knees nearly buckled as the world before him altered. The dark looming figure of Arkham shifted into a large, ornate castle. Stone gargoyles shifted and stretched into golden dragons, their tails coiling around the architecture as their wings cast the forest below in shadows.     

Swallowing, an iron spike hanging from his neck clasped firmly in hand, Bruce began to journey forward. All kinds of unknown plants and shrubbery sprouted to either side of him. Out of the corner of his eye, he swore he saw one follow his movement as he walked down the pathway.  
      
    

Soon the presence of a human drew the attention of the locals, all curious about the wanderer in their midst. The question among them-who would be the first to reel him in?     

Bruce had started noticing them, bushes shimmying with movement, hushed, quick whispers from the trees, and the startling feeling of being watched. Then-it stopped. All of them scattered and fled from something approaching _very quickly_.     

Something darted by his side and came back around him to his other side.     

"Oh-oh, this must be him!" The thing giggled in his ear. The giggle reminded him of something that he couldn't quite put his finger on in the moment.     

"Yes yes! It's him indeed!" Another said, popping up right in front of him, eyes crazed and manic.     

The creatures looked like humans, apart from a set of fluffy ears and a tail.     

"Who-?" He couldn't get a word in before being interrupted by the pair.     

The one behind him scuttled to stand beside, what Bruce now realized, was his twin.     

"I'm Bud-"     

"I'm Lou-" The two said, motioning at themselves.     

" **-and we're here to retrieve you!** " They laughed again, raucous and stretching on.     

 _Hyenas._     

"Why? You don't even know why I'm-"     

"He knows!"     

"Who kno-"     

"Master's master!"     

"Mhm mhm!"     

"Come now we must make haste!"     

"Less we be late!"     

Hesitantly, but without much of a choice-the other option getting swarmed by the denizens of the forest-Bruce followed the two.  
  
    

Standing in front of the castle, he could now make out the details of it, a strange juxtaposition of soft curves and jagged edges. The large golden doors opened to reveal a mostly stark white interior, save for the rich purple carpeting.     

The dog men led him up the grand staircase that poured up from the foyer, into another set of doors. They closed the doors behind him, the heavy thud echoing in the large room.     

Once his eyes adjusted to the candlelit darkness, he was able to make out four figures sat in chairs, each on a landing at the top of their own staircase. The staircases themselves branched out at measured intervals, and sat at varying heights, each side of the center staircase a mirror of the other. The figures all wore grinning masks, hiding their faces.     

"Come forth." The voice of an old man spoke.     

Steeling himself, Bruce walked until he was standing before the branch of stairs.     

He could hear the Fae whispering to each other, but in a language he didn't understand.     

"Shhh."     

With the one sound, the Fae fell silent.     

At the top of the center staircase-the most shrouded in shadow-a man stood up. All the figures turned to look at him. Once he had stepped further into the light, Bruce recognized him immediately. _It was the man from the alleyway._ Or, as Bruce could now surmise, _a Faerie_.    

He wore a deep purple vest over a white, ruffled shirt. Thin gold chains were draped haphazardly around his shoulders,  glistening in the light. The Faerie seemed to glow from within, light catching on his sharp cheekbones.     

His eyes bore into him with an intense, singular focus. Bruce held his gaze, determined to pass whatever test it was he was being put through. The closer he got Bruce felt like he would all but fall into those depths and be swallowed whole. Something the Faerie saw must have impressed him, red painted lips tipping in a smile. Bruce felt a sharp pull that he couldn't quite explain that came from the very center of him, beckoning him forward, but he resisted.     

A green eyebrow rose and the grin stretched further, "Aren't you a feisty one. Not many of your kind can resist my charms."    

_A mesmer._     

Bruce had wanted to remark that maybe the man-though attractive-wasn't all that charming, but felt that wouldn't work in his favor. However, it seemed the man could read it in the look in his eyes, head tipping back as laughter cracked at the air.     

"So, let me guess, you want help removing that little enchantment of yours?"     

"I-yes." He had a feeling there was no need for exposition.     

"First, let's see what kind of hooks are sunk into you, hm?" Using his teeth he removed a glove before tugging the other off.     

Raising his hands, he cupped Bruce's face, the proximity and touch making him uncomfortable. Then he felt it-little tendrils of _something_ seeping under his skin and branching out. The moment seemed to stretch out before the other pulled back abruptly with a hiss and a sharp, surprised laugh, "Oh that is some _nasty_ work. It's latched onto you like a rabid little beastie. Who the hell did you manage to piss off?"     

"A witch."     

"Must be a very powerful one to place a curse like that. Whatever did you do to her?"     

"I didn't." He said, keeping his answers short and to the point.     

"Oh." The Faerie sagged in disappointment, "How boring."     

"But I-"     

"Relax, I didn't say I wouldn't help." He waved his hand about, "Perish the thought. However, even I can't break this thing outright. But I will help you find a cure. Although I dare say it would be your loss. It's more of a blessing if you ask me."     

"What do I owe you?" Bruce knew the Fae always wanted something in exchange.     

"How about-" he steepled his fingers together, "-I let you know once we find it?"     

"Deal." He knew he had answered all too quick.     

His response was an incredulous laugh, "You really _are_ desperate." Straightening back up, the man a good couple inches taller than Bruce, he held out his hand. "You've got yourself a deal."     

Bruce took it, goosebumps shooting up his arm as he felt magic pulsing under the man's skin in his bare grip.     

This deal would either answer his prayers, or plunge him further into the maws of disaster.    



End file.
